


bring you a little closer, tell you it's okay

by softiejohnyong



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood, Blood Drinking, Blood and Violence, Light Angst, M/M, Mates, Original Character(s), Tentacles, Vampire Turning, Werewolf, unbeta-ed we die like mEN
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:21:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27193696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softiejohnyong/pseuds/softiejohnyong
Summary: He notices a shift in the atmosphere around them, nevertheless. Once again, a sense of calm wash over the both of them, while Taeyong simply closes his eyes and breathes out a sigh of relief. Johnny wants to say something to break off the silence, but maybe he doesn’t need to. Johnny thinks he likes the tranquillity of the moment. Just the two of them, basking in each other’s presence. If this is what being an unbreakable pair feels like, then he doesn’t mind it one bit.
Relationships: Lee Taeyong/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35
Collections: Ghouls Ghosts and Johnyong





	bring you a little closer, tell you it's okay

**Author's Note:**

> title from Throwaway by SG Lewis ft. Clairo

Numb hands. Cold feet. Throbbing head.

Johnny wakes up with a groan. His head feels like splitting into halves, his body is cold and too sweaty to his liking. For a few disorienting seconds, he doesn’t know if he is even alive. But then a sharp pain tears through his spine. _Yeah, definitely alive and suffering,_ he thinks. The immense pain causes his whole body to tense up, nearly arching off the surface he is on. Johnny tries to open his eyes, but only catches a glimpse of a gray ceiling, before a face comes into his field of vision. A familiar face.

“Johnny! Oh thank god you’re awake!” Sehun exclaims.

“Where am I? And why am I hurting so much?”, Johnny croaks. His throat feels like he swallowed glass.

“You’re safe. Well, for now. Here, let’s get you to sit up, I’ll get you some water for your throat.” Sehun hurries to pull Johnny to an upright position, with his back leaning against what must be the wall. After some quick blinking, Johnny finally gets a vision of where they are. It seems like Sehun dragged him to someone’s apartment, albeit a small and very dark one. But warm. Kind of cozy, if the couch with various comforters thrown on counts. Sehun returns with a glass of water in hand, which Johnny doesn’t take more than ten seconds to down in one go. His body is still hurting, but bearable, so Johnny tries to search for Sehun’s eyes. He has a million questions for the other. But before he could muster the first one, Johnny notices Sehun’s pair of glowing red eyes.

“Sehun, your eyes…?”

“Yes, about that…” The silver-haired man let out a sigh, then an assuring smile - though Johnny isn’t very convinced by that smile. “Before I explain, please do not freak out, and please understand that I did what I did to save you, Johnny. I do not mean to harm you, in any ways.”

“You being cryptic is not helping at all, Sehun. Just tell me.” Johnny says, impatiently.

“I, uh, am sort of a vampire? And I, well, uh- turned you into one, too.” The silver-haired man nearly mumbles the last few words. His skin is oddly white against the red of the eyes.

“What?” is all Johnny could say in response.

“Uhm, well, you know, the _incidents_ that have been happening around the city? They… aren't incidents, at all. They were the doing of some mythical beasts, our coven have been fighting off them for the past few years, but they got exceptionally stronger this time, and you were just unlucky to have been caught in the crossfire. Johnny, I am terribly sorry everything has come down to this, but I couldn’t leave you there bleeding to death. So I bit you. And yeah, turned you into a vampire like I am. You are a vampire now.”

Wow, that sure is _a lot_ to take in. Johnny takes nearly 1 minute just staring at Sehun’s unnaturally handsome face. 

“Does being a vampire always hurt this much?”, he asks, gesturing at his entire body. The pain has eased down to a throbbing, but still painful, nonetheless.

“Oh, that’s from your internal organs hardening up to prepare your body for, you know, eternity? I’ll get you some painkillers for that, it will pass really fast, don’t worry.” Sehun answers, trying to sound as comforting as possible, considering they were talking about Johnny’s body literally transforming into a different type of non-human. The two of them fall into silence after that, mostly on Johnny’s side, because he doesn’t know where to start with the whole becoming-a-blood-thirsty-immortal-creature thing just yet; while Sehun seems almost jittery about the situation, like he had done this before but still couldn’t help feeling guilty.

“You seem, uh, awfully calm?” Sehun speaks up after a while, carefully gauging Johnny’s reaction.

“Dude, I’m still processing everything you just told me.” Johnny pinches the bridge of his nose. Sure, he knows one or two things about vampires, although he doesn’t believe that they exist. And then all of a sudden, he is one of them.

Just as Johnny is about to open his mouth for another question, a dark figure appears at the door, startling both of them - well, mostly Johnny.

“Sehun, did you bring food to the safehouse? I told you not to feed in here, it’s a safehouse, for fuck’s sake!” The man, Johnny realizes, has quite a raspy voice. He is wearing some kind of cloak, slowly approaching the two of them while coming out of the shadow. 

The man is _ethereal_. Dark hair, dark eyes, sharp face, and somehow he still looks soft. Johnny has never seen anyone as beautiful as this man, to the point he could feel himself gaping.

“Taeyong! This is Johnny, a newborn. He’s a friend of mine, so he’s good. We just need a place to lay low, we’ll go as soon as possible. And by the way, why are you here?” Sehun didn’t seem to be fazed by the other’s scolding, instead rose to his full height to greet Taeyong. Despite his strong presence, Taeyong looks tiny next to Sehun. _Which means he will also look tiny next to me,_ Johnny’s brain helpfully supplies.

“The city is going to be attacked, soon. Chanyeol and Baekhyun managed to kill the twinned beasts, but I don’t think it will be long before more of them come. I’m checking to make sure that all safehouses are functioning for all members of the coven to use. God knows how many will be injured fighting off those ugly beasts. And what do you mean a newborn? Sehun, did you turn him?” Taeyong make a half exhausted, half annoyed face at the silver-haired man.

“A beast attacked him. I couldn’t leave him to die.”

“Well, you should have brought him to the hospital.” Taeyong crosses his arms in front of his chest, fully annoyed now.

“It got a claw through his heart, Taeyong! The human doctors won't be able to save him!” Sehun exclaims, sounding like he couldn’t believe what just came out of the other’s mouth. Taeyong hisses back.

“And what, you thought a bite would? Sehun, our bite is venomous. What if his body couldn’t absorb the venom? He would have died for a second time!” 

“But he survived, alright? His body absorbed the venom, he didn't die because I at least tried to give him a second chance!”

Johnny feels the temperature drop, as if those two’s heated argument has actually caused the air in the room to freeze.

But before either Sehun or Taeyong can bite back, there is a loud bang, and then something like a growl resonates through the apartment.

“Fuck!” Sehun grits his teeth, running towards the source of the growling. As soon as he flings the door open, a black, sleek tentacle comes through and hits him directly in the chest, effectively throwing Sehun at the opposite wall. He screams.

“Get Johnny out of here!” As though their previous quarrel didn’t even happen, Taeyong nods, quickly grabs and throws Johnny on his back, which is not much of a surprise, considering he is a vampire. Johnny is shocked by such strength, nonetheless.

“What about you?” Taeyong yells back, looking like he is ready to drop Johnny on the floor to go help Sehun.

“Go! We don’t have much time. They found one of the safehouses. They will come back for more. I’ll catch up with you guys later. Go!” The silver-haired manages to say as much, before another tentacle whips forward to strike him.

Just like that, in the blink of an eye, Johnny finds himself clinging to Taeyong for dear life, as the vampire just straight up flings himself out of the window of the apartment, which Johnny belatedly realizes to be at least six floors above the ground. Taeyong seems to know this neighborhood well, as he quickly grabs onto the railing of a balcony protruding from the building in front of them, then drops down to another below it, all the while not breaking a sweat even with the added weight on his back. Everything becomes a blur to Johnny then, because as soon as they land safely on the ground, Taeyong simply _bolts_. The howling and snarling behind them has gone down to a fainter sound the further they get from the building, but that doesn't mean Johnny isn't worrying for Sehun. Finding out that your neighbor is a near unbreakable supernatural being is kind of cool, but Johnny can’t shake off the image of Sehun as a soft guy who had two dogs and is afraid of bugs just yet.

“Don’t worry, he has dealt with much nastier creatures before, he will be fine.” Taeyong suddenly spoke up. Johnny doesn't know what to say to that, and the other man doesn't seem to need any reply from his companion. They continue on their way like that, although Johnny is starting to feel a little nauseous from this very high speed, very supernatural means of transportation.

*

“Guess we’ll have to stay here for a while.” Taeyong says, pulling the black curtains to the side to let the weak light in. It is only dawn, the sun is merely an obscure shade of orange in the sky.

“Aren’t you guys afraid of the sun?” Johnny blurts, upon seeing Taeyong not even flinching once the sunlight touches his skin.

“The humans got it all wrong with the Dracula.” is all Taeyong mutters in return.

They arrived at this small cottage a few minutes ago, which Johnny guesses to be far away from the city, judging from the two-hour train ride they took. Obviously Taeyong had refused to travel the rest of the way on foot (“Just because I am supernatural doesn’t mean I don’t get tired”, he said). He seems to be a very grumpy vampire, from Johnny’s point of view, barely spares him a glance, answers his questions as few as possible and prefers to keep to himself. Though as to why Taeyong took him along, Johnny has no idea.

“I’m sorry, but what do you mean we’re staying here for a while?” Johnny asks, finally catching up to the most important piece of information.

“With the wolves rampaging through the city to find more meat like you, and especially the fact that you are a newborn, we, _as in Sehun, actually,_ are obliged to take you in and look after you. It’s in the laws of our coven.”

“The… wolves?”

Taeyong let out a long-suffering sigh. “Yes, werewolves. Witless creatures. There are words that they are recruiting new members for their pack. They could have just scratched you and _woof!_ you’d be one of them by now. You were unlucky to cross paths with a more clumsy one who couldn’t differentiate between scratching and stabbing. But you were lucky that Sehun is nearby and pitied you enough.” Deeming that a sufficient explanation, Taeyong starts going around the cottage to check up on supplies and essentials. “You will have to stay here with me for the time being, until you finish your training. Now, go on, pick a bed and settle down.” The dark-haired man gestures to two beds on either side of the room. It is a very small cottage, after all.

Johnny splutters. “Hold up, I have to stay here? I can’t, I have finals!”

“And risk killing anyone and anything that you happen to come across because you cannot and do not know how to control yourself? Believe me, I do not enjoy being stuck in one place with a feral kid, but it is my duty to lower the risk of exposure for our community. You _are_ staying here until you can at least resist the urge to bite.” The dark-haired man snickers.

Well, Taeyong does have a point. As far as his internet nerd self knows, Johnny understands that a newly turned vampire will always pose a threat to both humans and the supernatural. Still, he couldn’t just drop out of school like that. 

“You can write and submit your essays from here, there is wifi. We are not savages.”

Taeyong says as much, before disappearing out of the door.

The dark-haired vampire returns a few hours later, still bearing the same straight, bored face. 

“How are you feeling?” is the first thing he says upon seeing Johnny sitting up straight on the bed. He didn’t catch any sleep while Taeyong was away, mostly because Johnny is _a vampire_ , and apparently vampires don’t need sleep. Kudo to that.

“At least I’m not aching all over, so I guess I’m good.” He replies while eyeing the suspicious cooler that Taeyong is carrying. “What’s that?”

“Food.” The other simply says. “Your body is healing very fast, which is good. You won’t need human food anymore. You’re a newborn, though, so you will require more blood than I do. These are enough for a week.” He pulls up the lid of the cooler, revealing multiple bags storing red liquids inside. Johnny isn't one to be afraid of blood, but he has never seen _that much_ blood, so the sight still makes him a little nauseous.

“Can’t I have normal food? Like, McDonald’s or something?”

Taeyong immediately scrunches his nose. “First, yes, you can have human food, but your body won’t get anything good from that, other than feeling bloated and maybe a tired jaw from chewing. Vampires survive on blood. And second, McDonald’s are disgusting, even as snacks. I regret not coming to the States and terminating whoever started fast food.”

He takes out a bag and hands it to Johnny. “Here, take a sip first. Get used to the taste.”

Johnny receives the bag with hesitant hands. He tears a small hole in it with his fangs, which he has not realized their existence up until now. Blood tastes exactly the same as the time that bully punched a 12-year-old Johnny in the nose, although the flavor seems to have been amplified tenfold. There is a tang of metal, of course, and also something sweet, like a glass of fruit punch, so refreshing that Johnny instantly becomes more awake than ever. He finishes the bag in mere seconds.

A second bag has already been offered to him when Johnny smacks his lips, about to ask for more. Taeyong looks almost… caring? Like he is looking at an actual hungry child and not a grown college student. Although Johnny doubts he isn't a child in the eyes of actual adults who know what they are doing.

“Drink up. You’ll need a lot of energy for tomorrow.” Taeyong carries the cooler the rest of the way to the refrigerator to stock up with the blood bags. There is a light skip in his steps. Johnny could only guess that the other has been well fed as well. Just then, a question occurs to him.

“Where did you get all that blood?”

“Animal. Or donation from humans. There is always a blood bank near any safehouse where members of our coven could come and feed.” Taeyong replies. Having put the cooler away, he returns to his bed on the other side of the cottage, and pulls out a book from the bag hung on the side of the headboard. After escaping the monster that had ambushed them, Taeyong had taken Johnny back to his dorm room for five minutes to grab some necessities, which included a change of clothes, his laptop, phone, and a toothbrush. Meanwhile, Taeyong had somehow magically manifested a duffle bag out of thin air. Seeing that the other has begun to indulge himself in the book, Johnny also turns to take out his laptop, deciding it is best that they both had some time to themselves before his curiosity peaks up again.

Still, it isn't long before Johnny couldn’t stop himself from blurting out another question.

“This coven of yours… am I, uh, am I supposed to become one of you guys?”

The dark-haired vampire takes one full minute to finish the page he is reading, dog-ears it before closing the book and shifting his attention to Johnny.

“A newborn who is turned by a member, like you, is not required to join the coven, although I do recommend that you do, for both yours and the community’s benefits. Covens are set up so that we can protect each other. Vampires are not the only supernatural species to exist out there, so we certainly do have enemies. The werewolves, for example.”

Johnny perks up at the mention of “werewolves”. 

“You will probably smack me for asking this, but I just _have to_.” 

Taeyong looks at him expectantly, silently gesturing for him to continue.

“What happens when a werewolf bites a vampire, or vice versa? Does the one bitten turn into a hybrid of both species?”, Johnny looks eager, to say the least.

Well, Taeyong certainly did not expect that. 

“You’ve had too much internet, kid. Werewolf saliva is like poison to a vampire. We die. Once a wolf and a vampire clash, there can be only one survivor.”

Johnny visibly deflates after hearing Taeyong’s answer. So much for fighting on reddit.

“And you mentioned something about training? What is it about? Do I have to… uhm… learn to fight?” Johnny isn't exactly a fan of violence, but if he gets to do the cool athletic shit Taeyong pulled last night, then Johnny is willing to try. The other man seems to read his mind, as he let out another long-suffering sigh. 

“No, I won’t teach you to punch others in the face. By training I mean you will learn how to reign in your blood thirst. Newborns tend to be very instinct-driven, especially when they are hungry, and that poses a great threat to both the vampires and the humans.”

Right, he is no longer human. Johnny has yet to feel the crazy urge Taeyong mentions, but he has a vague idea of what kind of threat he would be to everyone. Johnny isn't stupid. Sure he did ask some silly questions, but he could be serious when necessary. And judging by Taeyong’s tone, the man is _serious_ about that last part.

Taeyong let him mull over every bit and piece of information he has gathered so far for only two minutes, before getting up and heading out of the cottage.

“Come, I can use a helping hand right now. This cottage is in desperate need for some renovation.”

*

Johnny likes animals, especially the small, soft, fluffy, adorable-looking ones. As a child, Johnny loved zoos and aquariums where he could pet a goat or give a giraffe some fruits to snack on. As an adult, sometimes he would volunteer at the local shelter to help take care of the strays they found. His heart breaks every time he sees the fear in their eyes.

Which is why Johnny is absolutely terrified to learn that Taeyong is taking him to the wood to teach him how to _hunt_.

“No, I don’t want to.” He nearly screeches when the older vampire tells him to hide behind a large tree.

“Do you want to starve?” The other man inquires, unimpressed.

“I’m not killing a living animal!”

“And yet you asked for _McDonald’s_ the other day. And what are you gonna do when you’re tired, and hungry, and have no blood bag with you?”

“I’d rather starve.”

“And become even more blood-thirsty, ready to attack anyone or anything passing by?” Taeyong lifts an eyebrow.

“Well I can-” Johnny is about to protest again when he realizes that, yes, Taeyong does have a point about that. Over the past few days, between trying to submit his essays for finals in time and helping Taeyong fix some leakages in the cottages, he heard from the older vampire more than enough stories of the kinds of harm that a hungry, blood-thirsty vampire could cause. Some had resulted in the death of said vampire, and others had ended with the slaughter of a whole village. None of which Johnny wants to happen to himself.

But the idea of killing an innocent animal is still too much for him. The very substance that keeps them alive means the end of another life. While it is true that he does consume meat, Johnny would argue that it is because a burger doesn’t scream and thrash and bleed to death in front of him.

Sensing Johnny’s inner struggle, Taeyong eventually speaks up, sounding every bit as annoyed as he has been for the past few days, though. “If it’s too much for you, how about I make an example first? So you’d know how things are done.”

They hide behind a rather large bush and stay as quiet as possible to not risk scaring off any potential animals that might pass by. Being less than an arm’s length away from Taeyong, Johnny finally has the chance to take a proper look at Taeyong. The man is strikingly beautiful, with a face a combination of sharp and soft. He even notices that Taeyong has a small scar that looks like a rose. But the feature that Johnny likes the most about Taeyong is his eyes. Big, glassy, but dark and bottomless. There is the slightest tint of red in those dark orbs, only noticeable when one really takes the time to look into Taeyong’s eyes. And Johnny? Well, he’s been captured by those eyes since the first time they met. It may sound sappy, but if Johnny is being truthful to himself, he might already be developing the tiniest crush on that vampire-shape block of ice.

His daydreaming is cut off when a small deer appears between the bushes not too far away from them. He hears Taeyong slow down his breath, as though he is trying to be even more silent than he already is. Taeyong slightly crouches down to get in position, and then it happens. One single rustle from Taeyong stepping on the leaves and branches on the ground later, he is calling out for Johnny.

“Come here!” The deer underneath Taeyong, restrained by his knees and arms, yips in fear. The vampire isn't fazed even the slightest, and continues to hold the animal down as if it isn't struggling to escape.

To say that Johnny is scared is an understatement. He couldn’t imagine how Taeyong could act all cold and indifferent when he is about to take another life like that. The deer continues to cry out in fear and struggle in his grip.

“I know this will probably traumatize you, but it is the reality that you are going to live in.” Taeyong says, as if preparing Johnny for what he is going to do next. There is a crunch when the deer’s neck snaps, its body goes limp, then silence. The deer is dead before Johnny knows it. He feels a drop of cold sweat roll down his temple, his body is heavy, too. He has never had anyone kill a living animal in front of him, for fuck’s sake!

Johnny thinks back to how he has never seen Taeyong’s fangs, even while he speaks, which are now very much visible and gleaming when he sinks them into the deer’s throat. His adam’s apple moves as he starts drinking from the poor thing, lips staining a scarlet shade from some of the blood sipping out. Meanwhile, Johnny is stuck to his spot, a foreign feeling rose to the back of his mind. Despite the terror of seeing a fresh kill, he wants to have a taste too. The blood is still warm, the scent like fine wine to his nose. There is this primal instinct within Johnny that is telling him to come closer and have a taste. 

Then again, it is a deer that was alive mere seconds ago. Johnny can’t do this. Not this time.

*

“Alright, so clearly you’re a much softer boy than I thought-”

“I’m not soft! And I’m 22!”

“A 22-year-old who cries because of a deer. As I am saying, because you’re much more sentimental than I’d expected, visual examples might not be suitable for you.”

“Ok, then what?” Taeyong’s last sentence got Johnny slightly alarmed, wondering what kind of horror he is going to be exposed to next. The “exercise” with the deer has awakened something in him, something that got Johnny emotionally scarred and equally exhilarated, which is confusing and the last thing he wants to discuss right now, and certainly not with the dark-haired vampire. 

Out of nowhere, Taeyong whips out two iron chains, each with a cuff at the end. For as long as they have known each other, Taeyong has done a lot of the unexpected - or it is just Johnny being new to the whole vampire thingy - and somehow he has quickly trained himself to not be too caught off guard by Taeyong’s behaviors. 

“Then I figure that you need a milder approach to the most basic thing of Vampire 101. Practice, but without _murdering_.” If Taeyong has said that with a sneer, Johnny decides he won't comment on it. After all, the man has put a lot of effort in helping him ease into the new life. 

The dark-haired man secures the cuffs around Johnny’s ankles, before attaching the other end of the chain to a hook on the floor that Johnny swears he has not noticed there before.

Johnny chokes on his breath upon seeing Taeyong starting to shed his clothes.

“What are you doing?” His eyes widen in surprise and _excitement_ , because let’s be honest, blood sucker or not, Taeyong is hot. Flawless skin, sharp collarbones, a subtle curve of his waist. The older man doesn't say anything, and reaches for a blood bag instead, before he tears off a corner and upends its entire content on himself. 

Taeyong is a sight to behold, drenched in crimson, with droplets of red travelling down the wide expanse of his chest. The once flawless skin is now soaked in the most tantalizing fragrance ever, and Johnny took a deep breath, desperate to sink his teeth in the ethereal creature standing before him.

“I want you to resist the urge to bite. Johnny, I want you to distract yourself enough that you won’t bite me.” Taeyong calmly says, looking directly into Johnny’s pair of blood red eyes. The young vampire takes a step towards him, only to be held back by the chains. That doesn't completely stop him, though, as Johnny still tries to advance forwards, fangs peeking out from under his upper lip. The good news is that he is not as aggressive as most newborns Taeyong has encountered before. Johnny is visibly trying to reign in his instinct, hands balling into fists at his sides, though his upper body won't stop leaning towards Taeyong. That isn't good enough, however. He told Johnny to distract himself from the blood thirst, and in order to do so, the young vampire must learn to steer his mind away from the delicious liquid presented before him.

“Johnny, calm down.” Taeyong speaks up after a while, when Johnny seems to have gained the slightest bit of consciousness. A crazed supernatural being, regardless of species, will always be dangerous. This exercise will be difficult, but it is important, one that will strengthen Johnny’s control once he has the freedom of roaming around on his own.

He watches Johnny inhale, and before Taeyong could try grounding the other with his voice again, the red of Johnny’s eyes has already started thinning out as the pupils dilate. Even his breathing is more audible, heavy and ragged. Johnny _roars_ , leaps and immediately falls from being chained to the ground. That doesn't stop him, though, as Johnny scrambles, even claws at the floor to stand up. Combined with the loud clanking of the chained around his ankles, the sight before Taeyong is of pure ferocity. At this rate, Johnny might even break free from restraint.

Feral vampires are scary. One might easily be frightened by a crazed vampire, and would try to get away. But from Taeyong’s experience, trying to escape a hungry supernatural would only result in an even more brutal death. So, instead of exiting the room right now, Taeyong steps closer to Johnny. The younger lunges forward and grabs him by the hand. Then, without even a moment of hesitation, Johnny sinks his fangs into Taeyong’s wrist.

 _Shit, that hurt as fuck._ Taeyong winces from being bitten. The bite doesn't draw any blood, since all vampires are basically walking corpses, but it does hurt a lot. At least Johnny seems to be satisfied with just biting another creature. Taeyong feels Johnny tonguing the underside of his wrist, before he retracts his fangs and starts to nose up Taeyong’s arm. By now the blood has dried down to a sticky layer on his skin, which Johnny eagerly laps up. He hasn’t let go of Taeyong yet, so the older vampire uses his other hand to push at Johnny’s head.

“Hey, I’m not your chew toy. Let go. Johnny, do you hear me?”

The younger doesn't hear a word, seeming adamant on cleaning up every inch of skin that is covered in blood. It is fortunate that Johnny has calmed down significantly since getting what he wants. Taeyong lightly slaps his cheek to get Johnny to pay attention to him.

“Hey, are you listening to me?”

“Huh?” After several minutes of continuous licking and nibbling, Johnny is finally coherent enough to speak. The red of his eyes has thickened again, no longer clouded by the blood haze. The young vampire blinks at Taeyong.

Taeyong sighs. To a certain extent, Johnny has shown an attempt at self-control, albeit not very successful. They will have to practice a few more times, then. Though Taeyong is already thinking of a way to swap out the exercise, because he doesn't exactly enjoy washing blood off his skin.

*

It is two weeks later that sees them at a nearby farm, where Taeyong and Johnny are tasked with clearing up a barn house for the upcoming harvest. After much practice, most of which ended with Johnny calmly turning away from offered food (although there has been one or two occasions where he logged his fangs too deep into Taeyong that the older nearly beat the shit out of him), the dark-haired man has finally deemed him good enough to go out with him.

Growing up in the city, Johnny has never known any kinds of farmwork, but he figures it is time to learn new things other than schoolwork - after all, he is going to have an eternity to learn. It seems that the owner of the farm already knows Taeyong, and barely casts a glance at his companion. They exchang a few curt words, before the farmer leads the two to the barn house and give some instructions on what to do.

Thanks to the newfound superhuman strength, Johnny doesn't even break a sweat while carrying multiple hay bales at once, and he thinks it is kind of relaxing to just work and not have to think about anything, like his body is on autopilot. As usual, Taeyong keeps to himself, and won't talk much unless absolutely necessary. So far he has only given Johnny some basic guides on what to do and how to do it, and the silence once again is getting to the young vampire. For a brief moment, Johnny wonders if Taeyong hates him, judging from the heavy sighs the older man let out every time Johnny asks a question; but it also seems that Taeyong doesn't really loathe him, because from what little deduction Johnny has made so far, the dark-haired vampire could have dropped his ass in the middle of nowhere, anytime he wanted. And yet here they are, working on a farm, with Taeyong never too far away from Johnny. The man in question is busy sweeping the floor of the barn with a rather large rake. 

Suddenly, a heavenly scent invades his sense of smell. A scent so sweet and alluring that Johnny immediately drops the crate he is holding to the ground. Before he knows it, his legs have already begun to walk towards the source of the scent. There is a young boy standing near the goat barn, dressed in simple clothes, with auburn hair. Johnny’s vision starts to blur at the edges, there is no one he sees other than the boy, who has his back turned to Johnny and is completely unaware of another person approaching him. 

Johnny can feel it. The life flowing in the boy’s veins. The mouth-watering scent blanketing his golden skin. The young boy with an exposed neck. Or wrists. A bite on those beautiful spots would be nice. Johnny knows it would.

Just before he could take another step and grab his first victim, something - or someone - holds Johnny back. Their grip on his arm is iron, not allowing him to move any further. Johnny growls in annoyance.

“Johnny.”

Taeyong’s voice is grounded, and meant to calm the young vampire down. The moment he heard Johnny drop the crate he knew something was up. And then when he saw the other approach Haechan - the owner’s nephew - Taeyong was on the move to stop Johnny from actually charging at the young boy. It is a mistake on Taeyong’s part, though, that he didn’t check to see if Haechan is on the premises that day. Johnny gives another frustrated growl, red eyes glowing as he turns around to stare at Taeyong. His eyes are unseeing, though, so Taeyong guesses the young vampire hasn’t realized what is happening yet. He calls for him again.

“Johnny. Stand. Down.”

The other tries to jerk out of his grip, which Taeyong tightens since Johnny is stronger than most newborns. He didn’t react this strongly to the owner of the farm, so Taeyong had thought that he got lucky with this one. _Shit._

Taeyong uses his remaining hand to grab Johnny by the shoulder and turn him around, away from the sight of an oblivious Haechan. Johnny is looking at him with angry red eyes, like an animal being robbed of its meal. Taeyong tries calling his name a few more times, but Johnny seems to have been caught in a trance by Haechan’s blood, and only grows to be more infuriated from being bound by Taeyong. Maybe the dark-haired vampire should go _harder_.

A loud smack is heard when Taeyong’s palm connects with Johnny’s cheek.

“Ow! What the fuck!” Johnny yells, hand flying up to hold his face. His cry startles Haechan, as the boy immediately turns around, round eyes widening in surprise. Taeyong gestures for the boy to leave.

“Oh good, you’re back.” The dark-haired man says, somehow still has the audacity to look concerned and not as if he has just slapped Johnny so hard that the younger is seeing stars.

“What was that for?” Johnny hisses, rubbing his reddening cheek. 

“You don’t remember what happened?” Taeyong answers him with another question instead. “You… were about to attack a human, Johnny.”

“I… what?” Johnny splutters in disbelief. He specifically recalls working on rearranging some wooden crates one moment, and the next his face is stinging so much. He for sure does not recall attacking anyone.

Taeyong drags him away from the goat barn, towards several hay stacks they were working on and pushes Johnny to sit down on one of them. 

“How are you feeling right now?” Taeyong crouches down in front of Johnny to check for any unusual signs. The young vampire seems to have come back to his senses, albeit a bit disoriented. “You were lured by Haechan’s blood, and lost control.”

Johnny feels numb, like someone has dumped a bucket of ice cold water on him. The reality that he is no longer the same hit him then. Johnny is not human anymore. He relishes blood. He has fangs. He wants to bite people. To drink their blood, suck away their life. Mere minutes ago, he almost pounced on another human - something he never in a million years could imagine himself doing. Johnny has always been a rather soft, nonviolent individual, always seeking out peaceful solutions for every conflict he encounters. It is not in his nature to be aggressive. Sure Johnny is able to feel anger, but the most he has ever done is snapping back at others.

And yet, this impulse to bite others had become something like a second nature to him. He sees others as food, instead of, well, people. Johnny thinks he is going to throw up.

“Can we- go home, right now?” He asks Taeyong, who nods upon watching Johnny struggle to breathe through his nose. He leaves for a few minutes, presumably to notify the farm owner of their early departure. Johnny thinks he sees Haechan peeking from behind the goat barn again, but maybe that is just his imagination. 

When Taeyong returns, he tugs at Johnny’s arm to signal that they are leaving. The two go back to the cottage on foot. During the entire walk, Johnny stays silent, mainly because of the storm of emotions inside. _Guilt, fear, confusion, guilt._

Taeyong doesn't say a word even as they reaches the cottage, he only pushes Johnny towards his bed, wordlessly telling him to get some rest.

He knows the younger vampire is in no way resting, judging by the constant rustling of the bedsheet from Johnny’s tossing and turning. A newborn vampire will always find it hard to accept their nature during two occasions: their first time experiencing _the lure_ , and their first kill. Sometimes they encounter both at the same time. It is fortunate that an old vampire like Taeyong was there to stop Johnny from pouncing on little Haechan. But eventually, he knows for sure, there will come a day when Johnny has to kill someone. Kill, or be killed. That is how things work out there, especially in the world of the supernatural. During his very long lifetime, Taeyong has met countless vampires, old and young, to understand the dilemma many of them suffer from. Covens work their hardest to ensure blood banks are available, but without donors and freshly-killed animals to supply, food could run out. There will always be certain points in life where a vampire has to kill to survive.

Sometimes Taeyong wonders if turning a human is the right thing to do. Normally, a vampire would turn a human only when said human is in critical condition. But does the bite really give them a second chance at life, or does it take away from them the opportunity to live a proper life? Is life worth living if it costs the lives of others? _Would she have been happy as a sickly human, rather than a healthy fugitive?_

“Taeyong, how old are you?” Johnny speaks up, cutting off Taeyong’s train of thought.

“Old enough.” 

“100?”

Taeyong snorts. “Older.”

“200?”

“Way older.” And he makes sure to drag the _y_.

“500?” Johnny tries again, weakly.

It takes a while before Taeyong eventually answers, voice quiet.

“2900.”

He hears Johnny take a deep, shaky breath.

“That’s… uh… not what I expected.” Johnny thought that Taeyong was maybe 500 years old, _tops_. The man wears nice, modern clothes, and even his speech doesn't sound remotely ancient. Like, one could dress as fancy or as plain as they intend to blend in with the humans of their time, but usually they would retain a certain speech pattern that reveals their birth era. Meanwhile, Taeyong sounds like any ordinary adults you might see on the street. Johnny continues, “How do you deal with that? I mean, living forever?” 

“I study, and travel a lot. Try not to make too many enemies, too. You won’t know when you’ll get ambushed.” Taeyong looks up at the ceiling while recollecting memories from his life. It is true that he has been alive for a very long time. And surprisingly, the most haunting part of it, the part he remembers the most, is when he was turned. Taeyong remembers being a penniless beggar, whose body was dumped in a ditch, waiting for death to come take him away. A strange lady appeared in front of Taeyong and hauled him out of that ditch. When Taeyong woke up again, he had been a new person. Then came this millennia long journey. Thinking back to those days, Taeyong does not harbor any resentment for Hyesoo, because she had given him what he yearned for, helped him get to where he is today. She is truly his savior.

Johnny clears his throat. “But surely you were once like I am, right? I mean, you must have felt and done… the thing I almost did today.”

Taeyong sits up in his bed. The sky outside their window is a piece of black velvet, glittered with the stars. The moon is nowhere to be found, meaning the wolves won't be too riled up tonight and they could go out without being snatched by one of the feral.

“Let’s take a walk.” He says eventually, moving towards the door of the cottage. Once outside, the both of them take a deep breath. The night air is clean and brisk, and even though they’ve been mostly undisturbed during their stay at the cottage for the past weeks, somehow the night still gives a better sense of privacy to the duo. Taeyong softly tugs at Johnny’s sleeve, motioning for the younger to start following him. They jog up the slope of the hill behind the cottage, and once reaching the top, Taeyong finds himself gravitating towards his usual seat under the largest tree. Years ago, he had dragged a wooden bench here, to mark this spot as his own. With time, the bench grew to be a bit more creaky, but still strong enough to hold two men. Johnny sits down next to him, and normally Taeyong would comment on the close proximity between them; this time though, he chooses not to.

“I took you to this specific safe house, because it is the closest to my birthplace. Birthplace, as in where I was turned.” He points to a cluster of tiny sparks far ahead of the cottage, but very much visible in the dark. They are only dots of light, yet sitting here, up on the hill, surrounded by darkness, Johnny feels like an outsider to the world of the living. He is, after all, a walking dead. The course of his life has completely changed direction. Johnny will live forever while having to watch his loved ones die, one by one. He will stay forever young, but it will be lonely. Johnny finds himself leaning his forehead on his palm, trying hard not to break down right then and there.

“How do you deal with being like _this_?” Johnny asks, voice small.

Taeyong spent several minutes in silence and hesitation rearranging his thoughts. 

“I was supposed to die at the age of 24. Then a woman, her name is Hyesoo, found me. I like to think that she saved me, because she gave me life when I needed it the most. Hyesoo left shortly after turning me, so I didn’t really have a mentor to give me guidance. I was once like you too. Confused, lost, didn’t know what to do, what I was or why I acted this or that way. I understand it is hard to accept that you’re no longer the same. That you… prey on other humans, that you feed on them. You are very much alive, even though this new life is not… ideal for people with a good heart like you,” Taeyong pauses and turns to look at Johnny, who is also staring at him, “because I know it is morally difficult to continue on this path. As all things that are alive, your existence has a cost, still, it is _not_ your fault, for requiring certain things to survive. And this may sound cruel, but maybe try not to think too deep of being a blood sucker. You are a being that can do good, your existence has a meaning, and that’s all you should be concerned about. Explore yourself as a supernatural. I’m here to help you with your journey.”

The look in Taeyong’s eyes is sincere, like he genuinely cares about Johnny more than a stranger should. They spend minutes, or maybe just seconds, keeping each other’s gaze. Somehow, Taeyong’s words do make Johnny feel a little bit lighter. The man is thousands of years old, he must know guilt and loneliness better than Johnny does. A sense of relief slowly washed over him. Maybe it really is no use fearing everything that he has yet to explore and understand. He was given a second chance for a reason.

“Okay. Thank you, Taeyong.” Eventually, Johnny speaks up. He thinks he saw a small smile tugging at the corners of Taeyong’s lovely lips for a split second. It was too quick for his enhanced eyes to catch, though. Nonetheless, his eyes do catch on Taeyong’s skin glistening in the dark. Johnny isn't sure how to put it into words: Taeyong doesn't shine or get burnt in the sun, whereas in the dead of night the man seems to become the moon himself. He has a very soft, very faint glow that only the eyes of a supernatural could detect, radiating off Taeyong like a veil. He is beautiful. More beautiful than anyone Johnny has ever laid eyes upon.

Johnny feels pulled in. He wants to get closer to Taeyong. Being the love-deprived romantic idiot that he is, Johnny almost leans in. _Almost_ , because before he could embarrass himself, Taeyong suddenly stands up, eyes trained in the direction of the cottage.

“We have a visitor.” The dark-haired man says as much before rushing downhill. Johnny quickly follows.

To their relief, the visitor turns out to be Sehun. His hair is a shade of dark turquoise now, so obviously between fighting monsters and tracing them to this safehouse, the man still had time to dye his hair.

“Oh thank goodness, you two are alive!” Sehun exclaims, pulling both Taeyong and Johnny in for a hug.

“What happened? What took you so long? Did you come here alone?” Taeyong asks once released from Sehun’s tight grip. 

“Ah, well, that’s the news I’ve come to tell you,” Sehun looks exhausted, though, and there is a faint bruise on his exposed arm. That can’t be good. A bruise on a vampire. “Maybe we should sit down first?”

Following Sehun’s suggestion, the three of them settle on the little sofa set they have in the cottage, which consists of a loveseat and an armchair too small for Johnny but he’ll take nonetheless, since it’ll be awkward snuggling with Taeyong on the loveseat. Meanwhile, the other two vampires don’t seem the least bit reluctant doing so with each other. And yes, Johnny does feel a little weird about that.

“I’ll just keep it short. We are _fucked_ .” Johnny discreetly rubs at goosebumps on his arms just from the serious tone Sehun is using. “The werewolves have evolved, or mutated, I don’t know, but they’re no longer the same. Remember the night Johnny got attacked? Well, at first we thought two or three species of supernatural just simultaneously decided to roam the city, but turned out, there were _only_ the werewolves. The dark creature that found us in the first safehouse? Yeah, them wolves got fucking _tentacles_ now. As if their teeth aren’t disgusting enough.” Sehun grimaces at the last sentence, the disdain for their archenemies too obvious. 

Taeyong, on the other hand, still looks very much calm and composed. He is staring intently at Sehun’s face, although his fingernails are about to tear the fabric of the loveseat apart without him realizing.

“Do you guys have a plan yet? Have you reported to the Chief?” He asks.

Sehun answers with a solemn face. “Yes, I have. Chief said she had reached out to the witches, to see if they have a solution. This is a serious problem, werewolves mutating and growing too strong will throw off the balance. She also sent words that you should come back to the main house, it is safer there. Last I heard, everyone is there already, apart from you two and Baekhyun’s team. I know you are one of the strongest, Taeyong, but with Johnny tagging along I’m not too sure you will be safe once the wolves caught wind of where you are. After all, you took the evening snack away from them.”

Taeyong mulls over their options. Like Sehun said, going to the coven house is the best action to take right now. It is unfortunate that there are some members of the coven that Taeyong isn't exactly friendly with. And also just the fact that there will be over a hundred vampires all packed in one mansion - however spacious it is - already puts Taeyong in a dampened mood. That, or he could bring Johnny to another safehouse and risk either being ambushed while traveling or the house already sniffed out by the wolves. So obviously, the two of them must go to the main house. Although, with the incident earlier today, Taeyong isn't too sure about Johnny being able to pass the test.

As though sensing his concert, Sehun speaks up again, accompanied by a comforting smile. “Taeyong, I’m sure Johnny could do it. He’s been with you for weeks, and you’re one of the best mentors in our coven. Believe your apprentice a little, okay?”

Hearing his name brings Johnny’s attention back to the turquoise-haired vampire. “I’m sorry, but me doing what?”

“There’s a test for any vampire who wants to join the coven. A test of self-control.” Taeyong is the one to answer the question, shifting his gaze to Johnny. “The coven requires all members to be able to reign in their blood thirst.”

Now that is a serious problem for Johnny. He is nowhere confident of his control, especially after what happened with Haechan. He asks again, nervous and entirely uncertain of the response. “And… what if I don’t pass the test?”

Sehun sighs, rubbing his face. “Then you don’t get to enter the main house. You will be… uhm… casted away by the coven.”

The reply leaves Johnny feeling uneasy, to say the least. If what Sehun told them earlier was true, then a newborn like Johnny will be dead as soon as he is thrown out to wander on his own. He could go back into the city and resume his ordinary life as a college student, though this plan isn't very feasible, seeing that the city is the exact place where one of the wolves almost killed him. Who knows when they will return and continue to terrorize the town.

He exhales, audibly. “I guess it’s a do-or-die situation then. When are we leaving?”

*

The main house, according to both Taeyong and Sehun, is hidden deep in the forest up north. Air travel isn't available, so the three of them had to take the train (again) for nearly five hours - during which Johnny may or may not have slowly leant on Taeyong while watching a movie on the phone, which in his defense was completely subconscious as he likes to Netflix and cuddle - then continued to trek up into the mountains. A plus point of being a vampire is that you won't get tired out by walking, but the trip does feel a bit boring as they travel in silence. The most noise they have made so far is the occasional chatting between Johnny and Sehun, mainly about how everybody is worried about Johnny’s disappearance, which causes him to feel extremely guilty. He is lucky that the administration board gave him the permission to go on hiatus, since Johnny already submitted all the essays for finals, but disappearing over the night is somewhat of a dick move to his friends. They were worried sick, especially Jaehyun and Taeil who had nearly blown his phone off during the first few days. Johnny had to lie and told them that there was an emergency with his family back in America, and that he wouldn’t be back for about a month. Which was another big fucking lie because Johnny did not know when or _would_ he ever return to his friends. A part of him still plans to pull a _Twilight_ and blend in with the humans in the future.

Sehun is happily retelling a story of him beating Chanyeol in a sprint when all three of them hear it. A soft crack, almost inaudible to the human ears, but the vampires hear it loud and clear. From the corner of his eye, Johnny sees a blur of grey charging towards them, before something hard collides with him and sends Johnny to the ground. An immense weight immediately pins him down, and when Johnny looks up, he is faced with a furry creature. A creature, who is growling loudly at him, its jaws open wide to show off rows of razor-sharp teeth, ready to bite at any moment. The wolf doesn't have the chance to finish Johnny, though, because right then Sehun runs into it at full speed, effectively pushing the beast off the younger vampire. Taeyong, who has been waiting at the back, wraps his arms around the wolf’s throat with the intention of strangling it. Unfortunately, the wolf is at least twice the size of Johnny, who is already the biggest among the three vampires, so it doesn't have much difficulty thrashing out of Taeyong’s hold. Having gained balance on four claws, the giant beast snarls at the trio while sauntering left and right in front of them, as though it is herding sheep into the barn. The wolf isn't even fazed by the difference in number between itself and the vampires, fully confident that it could take out all of them. And just then, Johnny finally notices something odd about the creature. In the place that is supposed to be a furry tail, a black, slick tentacle with fucking _teeth_ is twitching like a separated monster, vibrating and ready to attack.

Sehun tries to come at the wolf again, only to be seized by the tentacle and thrown at a nearby tree. The bark cracks under the force with which the turquoise-haired man collides with the tree. On the other side, Taeyong is also looking for any flaw in the wolf’s movement, any weakness that could give him an advantage to finish the beast. Which proves to be quite impossible, seeing that the tentacle at the back of the wolf has a mind of its own, constantly whipping around to fend off any attack at the beast’s rear side.

Keeping their distance with the wolf, both Sehun and Taeyong slowly make their way to stand in front of Johnny. For some reason, the wolf wants him. Its eyes keep fleeting between him and the other two vampires, its snout also pointing at the youngest as though sniffing his scent.

“Johnny, stay behind me. It wants you. We’ll have to kill it right here, right now. I don’t know if it has back-up, and it better not. You do not leave, or run off, you hear me? Sehun and I will protect you.” Taeyong says through gritted teeth, hands also balling into fists, his body calm but somehow still very much prepared for combat right now.

This wolf is definitely smarter than the one who nearly killed Johnny, or the one that ambushed the safehouse back in the city. It is slowly crowding the trio further up the trail they are on, which Taeyong suspects to be an act to push the vampires right into a trap or another ambush. He must think of a way out of this situation, quick, before they really get shredded to pieces by those teeth. 

“I have an idea.” Taeyong whispers. “See the tail? We need to cut it off first. It is the first defense that prevents any of us from landing even a punch on the dog. Johnny, can you climb a tree?” He asks without tearing his eyes away from the growling beast.

“Maybe? I’m not too sure.” Johnny has thought he would stutter from the overwhelming fear that is swallowing him whole; but surprisingly, he doesn’t. Although he isn't confident with any physical movement of his right now.

Taeyong continues, still in a hushed tone. “When I give the signal, Johnny, you climb the tree behind you as fast as possible. The wolves aren’t developed to climb trees, so that will give us a little bit of time. I’ll try to cut off the tail, while you, Sehun, you keep its attention away from me. Okay?”

“Not exactly guaranteed of success, but guess we don’t have a choice right now, do we?” Sehun says in return.

“We just have to try. Now, go! Johnny, go!” Taeyong doesn't leave the others much time to prepare, immediately starts to run in the direction of the wolf, while Johnny scrambles to even lay his hands on the large tree behind them.

The plan works, at first, when Taeyong manages to grab onto the wriggling tail. The mutated wolf proves to be a rather tough opponent, too strong for just the dark-haired man to hold it down. Even with Sehun as the distraction, it still drags Taeyong on the ground for a good minute, until one of the teeth on the slippery appendage sinks into the man’s left shoulder. Taeyong cries out in pain and instantly let go of the tail, before landing on the ground with a heavy thud.

“Sehun, be careful, the teeth are venomous!” Taeyong wheezes out while clutching his shoulder, clearly in pain. The other vampire is busy dodging every attack from the wolf’s teeth and fangs, leaving his friend to avoid being stepped on by its gigantic hind paws on his own.

 _It’s gonna kill both of them,_ Johnny thinks, very close to slipping off the tree to go help Taeyong and Sehun. In no way is Johnny a fighter like the other two, but he can not stand aside and watch them die. So, with zero action plan, Johnny jumps down from the tree and sprints in the direction of the wolf. His steps might have faltered a little because he is literally running towards death, but the image of a whimpering Taeyong is enough to keep him going. 

The sound of the tentacle-shaped tail tearing through the air rings in Johnny’s ears, all he sees is the ugly appendage extending its venomous teeth to strike him square in the face. Like a miracle, before it manages to do so, the young vampire grabs onto the tail, forcefully twisting it so that the teeth are turned upwards and not embedded into his arms. And then, with another violent jerk of the hands, Johnny completely tears the appendage off of the wolf.

The wolf howls in pain. A mixture of red blood and purple venom is leaking from the open wound, splashing onto the ground beneath the wolf as it frantically turns around. The loss of the tentacle seems to have thrown its off guard, making the beast temporarily forget about a certain vampire with turquoise hair. 

Just like the time Taeyong killed the deer, the loud cracking of a broken neck makes every strand of hair on Johnny’s body stand on its end. The wolf finally goes flaccid, its giant form no longer a threat to the trio and instead, just a pile of lifeless limbs on the ground. Sehun is panting heavily as he let go of the beast, nearly bending down from exhaustion after such an intense fight. Johnny doesn't pay much attention to the man, however, because he hears Taeyong groan again, and within seconds, Johnny is kneeling on the ground next to the dark-haired vampire.

“Taeyong!” He squeaks, upon seeing the hole that the tentacle managed to tear through his shirt and into the shoulder. There is no blood, but the skin around the wound has turned black, and that definitely means nothing good.

“Shit,” Sehun mutters on Taeyong’s other side. “We gotta take him to the main house, _now,_ but Taeyong cannot walk, we don’t wanna risk the venom spreading further than it already is.”

Understanding what Sehun means, Johnny curls an arm around Taeyong’s back, the other under his knees to pick him up, careful not to jostle Taeyong’s injury. The man still hisses in discomfort, but other than that he doesn't protest being carried by someone else. Or maybe he is in too much pain to pay that any mind.

Since running isn't suitable for Taeyong’s condition, they opts to walk as fast as possible, for fear that the other pack members of the dead wolf will soon catch the blood scent and track them down. The coven house isn't too far away from their current location, which worries Sehun a lot, since their encounter with a wolf so close to home also means that them dogs have gotten significantly stronger and more daring, and as a result, pose a greater threat to their coven. But the turquoise-haired man will put that concern aside, at least until they reach the house, because Taeyong has started shaking in Johnny’s arms, his face even paler than it already is.

The coven house, or in Johnny’s word, a fucking _castle_ , slowly emerges from behind endless rows of dark-colored tree. It is a gigantic stone castle, very goth and depressing with its grey walls and black metal gate. A very impressive fortress, nonetheless.

The trio are greeted by a small vampire with droopy eyes, who looks absolutely wrecked - judging from his blood-stained clothes and smeared face - but still a lot more awake and alarmed than either Sehun or Johnny. By then, Taeyong has fully developed a fever, and his wound won't stop oozing the sticky liquid that has also seeped into the younger’s clothes.

“Baekhyun!” Sehun calls out, already running ahead to pull the other man in a hug. They must be good friends.

“What happened to Taeyong?” Baekhyun’s voice is laced with concern. “He’s burning up. Quick, get inside, the witches are here too, they can help!”

Once the trio are inside, Baekhyun starts yelling for help, which comes incredibly fast as two vampires rush over to take Taeyong from Johnny’s arms and put him on a stretcher. He feels a bit reluctant having to let the man go, but he knows Taeyong will get the help he needs, so Johnny stays and watches the three vampires disappearing in the long corridor to their left.

Baekhyun speaks up again, this time with a little tug to Sehun’s arm, to signal them to follow him. 

“The Chief wants to see you two.”

The Chief looks like… a child. A teenage girl, at most. Johnny feels guilty for thinking so, but really, the Chief of the coven looks like she couldn’t be any older than 15 years old. She has pitch black hair, impressive red eyes ( _although not as beautiful as Taeyong’s,_ his mind helpfully supplies) and two white fangs peeking out from under her lips. The woman is cladded from head to toe in black, which is somewhat expected of a millennia old vampire. She must have been waiting for Sehun and Johnny, maybe Baekhyun, too, judging from the little frown marring her flawless face and a half-full cup of steaming tea on the table.

Upon the arrival of her guests, the Chief gestures for them to take a seat, but not before frowning at Baekhyun.

“Why didn’t you clean up a little before coming here, Baekhyun? You look like shit.”

Johnny is a bit thrown off from how casual the Chief is to Baekhyun. For a head of a coven, he has expected her to be a lot more formal than that.

The man in question gives a little laugh before settling in one of the chairs on the right of the older woman. Johnny and Sehun also sit down next to him, with Johnny the furthest away from the Chief. This woman is supposed to be scary, despite her youthful appearance, so of course Johnny doesn’t want to be within her reach, in case she wants to strangle him. It is Sehun who introduces him first.

“Jinhee, this is Johnny. I… uhm… I turned him.”

Johnny thinks he saw the woman’s - Jinhee’s - left eyebrow twitch. He has noticed this behavior several times, either from Taeyong or Jinhee. Is it an old vampire thing to be ticked off by the mention of turning a human? Maybe he did make the right decision to stay away from Jinhee.

“Right,” Jinhee clears her throat. “so that’s gonna be the second problem here.” She seems to be thinking of something else for a brief moment, then continues. “On second thought, we should address the issue right now. Johnny here is part of the problem with the wolves, so we must decide his faith first.”

“I’m sorry, what? Who gave you the _permission_ to decide my faith?” Johnny can’t help getting annoyed by Jinhee’s choice of words. Dangerous or not, she does not own him, so who is she to determine his well-being? Underneath the table, Sehun pinches Johnny’s thigh, probably to warn him of pissing off their most powerful leadership figure.

On the other hand, Jinhee isn't fazed at all, and instead, she fixed Johnny with a dead glare. “Actually, I can give myself permission. Because you, child, are one of the reasons why the wolves have come so close to this place. Mr. Oh here does not know how not to give the bite to any random strangers he met on the street. Sehun, you’re fully aware that we do not rob others of their food, especially the werewolf, and yet here we are, with one of the elites injured, and a baby vampire to take care of. So I am confident to say that I can decide your faith, Johnny Suh, and I can throw you out of the castle immediately.”

So they are in much bigger trouble than Johnny had anticipated. Taeyong didn’t mention anything about stealing from the wolves, and all he has ever done is prepare Johnny for the bloodsucker life, so of course he does not in a million years imagine that Johnny himself is the root of the problem here. Next to him, Sehun pales, if that is even possible.

“My apology, Chief. I thought- I thought Johnny is only collateral casualty, I didn’t realize that the werewolves wanted him.” Sehun stammers, obviously terrified by Jinhee’s words. Which is odd, since the man often strikes Johnny as the confident type and not easily frightened by others.

Before Jinhee could continue to reprimand the turquoise-haired vampire, Baekhyun interrupts her. “Chief, if I may? I think Sehun was just being kind to humans, especially those preyed on by the werewolves. We all know how awful and ruthless they are with their ambition to expand their packs. Johnny could have been either eaten or turned into one of the war dogs, both scenarios wouldn't end well for him.” He briefly glances at Johnny to check his reaction. “One might think vampires are no better than werewolves, since we drink blood, but at least our coven is organized and disciplined, thanks to you and your work with the blood banks, so Johnny becoming one of us is be a much better option, than for him to wander in the woods and get killed. With the wolves closing in on the coven house, of course it is everyone’s responsibility to defend the castle, but please, Chief, at least don’t throw Johnny out. You are a merciful leader, you have saved Taeyong, and me too, so I refuse to believe that you will deny a fellow vampire of help when he needs it.”

Jinhee seems half convinced by Baekhyun, judging from the fact that her eyebrows have stopped knitting so close to each other, and the look in her eyes isn’t as icy as before. Still, she looks ready to strangle Johnny should he breathe too hard in her direction. Five seconds later, Jinhee visibly deflates.

“Fine, but he has to take the test, no exception. If he passes, we take him in. If he doesn’t, he’s out.” Jinhee says with such finality that none of them dares to speak, though they don’t really need to, seeing it is her giving Johnny a chance to join the coven. 

The three leave as soon as Jinhee gives them the permission, with Sehun tugging Johnny out of the door while Baekhyun stays behind a couple of minutes to discuss coven business with the woman.

“That was close. You’re lucky that Jinhee likes Baekhyun.” Sehun says while leading the way. To where, Johnny doesn't know.

“I really don’t get a say in this, do I?” He asks, looking at the back of Sehun’s head. There is a slight pause in the man’s steps, before they arrive at the beginning of a long hallway, with long rows of wooden doors on either side. The turquoise-haired man takes Johnny through one of them, which turns out to be the entrance to a guest room. 

“You will be staying here in the meantime, until the day of your test.” Sehun says. There isn't much in the room, aside from a bed, a wardrobe and a tall lamp in one corner. Sehun sits down on the bed and taps the space next to him, gesturing for Johnny to come sit.

“I admit that this might have been a whirlwind of events for you to take in. One would often feel like they’re not even in control of anything, and that’s understandable. But I hope you can see that the ultimate goal here is to keep you alive, safe from the claws of the wolves. It’s… really bad with them, I’ll be honest. There have been reports about lone vampires being attacked by them, which was why Jinhee gave the order for every member of the coven to return. She might seem harsh, but she’s a kind leader. We wouldn’t have brought you here if I didn’t believe that Jinhee would help.” And Johnny could see in Sehun’s eyes, the trust he has for their leader. Although, he couldn’t help feeling like a mere pawn in this vampire game.

“Then I’ll be honest with you too, I’m not too sure about the whole coven thing you’re talking about, Sehun. Or this vampire life. Taeyong even taught me how to kill a deer, which I don’t think I could ever consciously do, much less on a human. I’m… confused, I don’t know what I want right now. I feel like a walking dead.” Johnny’s shoulders slump in defeat. The past few hours have been more traumatic than anything he has ever experienced in his 22 years, and that leaves him questioning everything that has happened since the moment Sehun gave him the bite. 

Obviously sensing the drop in Johnny’s mood, Sehun sighs and puts a hand on the other’s shoulder.

“You are a good person, Johnny, and too young to die. Like I said, the goal is to keep you alive. I really, _really_ only want the best for you.”

“You sound exactly like Taeyong, do you know that?” The brunette replies, voice soft. “And speaking of him. Is Taeyong alright? Will he be okay?”

The corners of Sehun’s mouth lift up to form a small smile. “He will be fine. The witches are here, and not to exaggerate things but witches are literally the best doctors in the world. We are very lucky that Jinhee has a good relationship with them. I’ll take you to see Taeyong once he’s recovered.”

“And… uhm… about the test. Do you know what kind of test it is?” Johnny asks, voice laced with concern. If Jinhee seriously tells him to kill a deer or any live animal he will just throw up and pass out, _for real_.

“It’s a test of self control. Don’t worry, no one will ask you to kill anything. You will just be exposed to a lot of fresh blood, and have to resist it. That’s all.” Sehun shrugs, as if the test is a piece of cake. That does not relieve Johnny of the apprehension, at all.

Seeing the suspicion in Johnny’s eyes, Sehun immediately assures him. “No, I’m serious, the test really is that easy. I have attended countless of them. Our coven doesn't prefer killing, and I mean, isn’t that already the easiest way to figure if a vampire can resist food or not?”

At this point, Johnny isn't fully convinced by the older vampire. But does he have any other way out then? It is a do-or-die situation for him. Johnny knows he wants to come out of this alive. Like Taeyong said, the brunette should try to explore this new life as much as possible. Not dying is the first step.

“Oh, and by the way, because of the test, you won’t be allowed to feed within the next three days.”

*

By the second day of his stay at the coven house, Johnny is brought to see Taeyong. He knows Taeyong is a strong vampire, as referred by Jinhee to be “an elite”, but seeing the dark-haired man already sitting up straight in his bed makes Johnny wonder how powerful the man really is. A little over 24 hours ago, Taeyong was simultaneously burning up and shivering in Johnny’s arms; yet there he is, casually sipping some herbal tea while reading a scroll when the brunette knocks on his door.

“Are you alright?” is the first thing Johnny asks as soon as he has taken a seat on the chair next to the bed.

“A little sore, but I’m fine.” Taeyong replies hoarsely. If not for those minute details, one won’t be able to tell that the man has just fought with a gigantic mutated wolf and then escaped death.

“How are you settling in? Did Jinhee bully you?” The dark-haired man continues. His use of the word “bully” makes Johnny snort.

“She may have threatened to throw me out of the castle, which is just another way of saying she wanted me dead. Other than that, everyone has been very kind to me. I met a kid named Mark, too. Didn’t know a vampire could enjoy being in the sun that much.”

The corner of Taeyong’s mouth twitches, like he wants to smile but holds himself back. His eyes looks soft, however.

“That’s good to hear. And if I’m not wrong, you’re to take the test in two days, aren’t you? How are you feeling about that, particularly?” Taeyong finally puts the book aside, turning his full attention to Johnny. And there they are again, the tender, caring eyes that Taeyong often throws at the brunette, as though the younger is of utmost importance to him.

If Johnny is to be honest, he thinks Taeyong has been giving very mixed signals. Because, the young vampire is sure that their relationship is between fellow vampires, at best; yet Taeyong looks at him like that, like there is something more between them than mere friendship - compared to the first time they met, the ice in Taeyong’s eyes most certainly has thawed. But is it simply due to their sharing a living space, or does the older feel something in return too?

Johnny freezing up has Taeyong take it as the younger being nervous about the test. Which is partly true, but not so much that the young vampire has forgotten how to function. His brain only short-circuits when Taeyong places a hand on his cheek.

“Hey, it’s gonna be alright. I trained you well. Just think of me when I’m about to slap you, ‘kay?”

For a second Johnny almost thinks that Taeyong is high on painkiller or something. There is no way, in any alternate universes, where Lee Taeyong would deliberately touch him like that.

Johnny manages to chuckle a little bit, so that Taeyong won't suspect anything. “As if that would stop me from snorting the first drop of blood they offer up my nose. I haven’t fed for at least four days since the cottage, and they said I could not have any blood bag until the test, so like, I’d rather get slapped by you if that means I get to eat.”

“If this makes you feel any better, I’ll be present during the test. I’ll glare at you the whole time, I promise. That should make you freeze up, like you said before, right?”

Okay, this is extremely bizarre. Lee Taeyong, loosening up, and joking? With Johnny? This has to be a dream.

Taeyong finally realizes how much Johnny got weirded out by his sudden friendliness, but the damage had been done, the both of them fall into awkward silence. The older vampire bites his lips, trying to come up with something to dissolve the embarrassment, only for Johnny to beat him to it.

“I have somewhere to be, you… uhm… get some rest. I’ll see you later.” Johnny excuses himself and jerkily stands up. He briefly hovers at the door, and throws a small smile at Taeyong before disappearing out of the door, without hearing the soft sigh leaving the other’s lips.

*

True to his words, Taeyong does attend Johnny’s trial, and even before that. The young vampire has been taken to a special chamber connected to a stone meeting hall, chained to the bed _just in case_ , since he stated that he had been out of it and not really himself since the morning. Fortunately, the guards used much more comfortable chains than the ones Taeyong put on Johnny at the cottage; with the wrist cuffs made of leather and another layer of soft fur underneath to avoid squeezing his hands too much. 

Taeyong is allowed to see him through a barred window on the wall of the chamber. The vampire looks fully healed, save for the slight bulge on his shoulder from the bandages wrapped around it. He had his hair trimmed a bit, too, giving Taeyong a clean and youthful look.

“Johnny.”

It is the voice that pulls Johnny back from dozing off. Normally he doesn’t need sleep, but the hunger has gotten to him, making him visibly weaker than usual. Johnny is sitting on the bed, leaning his head on the wall, eyes shut tight while waiting for the time of the test. Hearing Taeyong call his name makes Johnny sober up a little, opening his eyes to see the older vampire standing outside.

“Hey.” comes Johnny’s exhausted reply. He is blinking slowly, trying to keep his eyes open for Taeyong. The other comes closer, offering a hand through between the window bars. Johnny hesitates to take it. He is afraid that he might go feral and bite Taeyong like he’d done in the past, or that holding his hand might mean something else that neither of them is ready to admit. So Johnny only stares at the bony hand extending towards him.

Taeyong let out an awkward cough and withdraws his hand, fully aware of Johnny’s reaction though not entirely sure what to make of it. He could sense that the young vampire has been somewhat restless around him, not since the incident at the farm, but actually since the first time they met. Or it could be his imagination, even when Taeyong rarely doubts his intuition. He knows where the restlessness came from - for both of them. And a part of him had wanted to deny it. Because this feeling inside him, it had been there before, with _her_. And Taeyong is afraid. Afraid that things might end the same way it did with her.

Then again, he doesn't know if Johnny’s blank stare is from his mind being clouded by hunger, or the younger also realizing what is actually going on between the two of them. 

“What are you doing here?” The brunette finally breaks the silence. Judging from how pliant he is, Taeyong guesses that the young vampire is really, _really_ hungry.

Initially, he has come down here only to check on Johnny. But there is a secret that he and Sehun have been keeping away from Johnny, a new piece of information he's learnt recently that explains Taeyong’s suddenly affectionate tendency. He’d intended to wait until the trial was over to tell Johnny, until Taeyong realized that if the younger didn’t pass the test then he wouldn’t have the chance to, at least in a very long time. And by that time, it might have been too late.

So, it is only logical to come clear with Johnny, once and for all. That decision doesn't prevent Taeyong from stammering the first few words, though.

"I, uh, Johnny, there's something I want, no, _need_ to tell you." 

That certainly gets Johnny perked up in interest.

"I think we're a destined pair."

Now that makes Johnny more awake than ever. He feels like he's been thrown into a cliché movie scene. _What the hell?_

"What?" Johnny stares at the other man in confusion and disbelief. By this point he's learnt that the older a vampire is the more obscure they like their speech to be. Taeyong clears his throat.

"I have learnt only recently, that you and I are compatible to make an unbreakable pair. Destined vampires find each other through close, intimate physical contact, which is why I didn't know from the start, because I rarely let anyone come near me. Then I got injured and you carried me all the way here, that's when I knew."

The dark-haired man pauses to gauge the other's reaction. Johnny continues to gawk at him. He is dumbfounded. Johnny has expected Taeyong to have something to say, coming down here all by himself, but he sure as hell did not anticipate _that_. How much more ridiculous can his life get? First he was turned into a blood-sucking immortal, then he met probably the hottest guy ever, got traumatized by a grotesque wolf, threatened by a tiny woman, only for the hot guy to turn up and tell him that they were bound together by… fate?

Part of him is overjoyed that he now has a reason, a chance to be around Taeyong for a long time; while the other part is already doubting the future. What if they won't work out? He knows that vampire soulmates commit to each other until death does them part - sometimes quite literally, since a vampire can only be killed through decapitation - but who knows if Johnny will be a suitable mate to Taeyong, and vice versa?

“Uh…” he stutters as an answer to Taeyong’s expectant eyes. 

As much as the dark-haired man trusts his sixth sense, he is no telepath, so he doesn't know what Johnny is thinking at that moment, and subsequently, what to make of that single drawn out syllable. Taeyong won't make assumptions, though it is hard when the object of his fondness is responding quite differently from what he has looked forward to. Taeyong swallows the lump in his throat. 

"I decided to tell you this because I want to be clear with you. You must have sensed… the tension between us. It was partly because of this bond. But I understand now, that added into the struggle you're going through with being a newborn vampire, maybe such news would do you no good. It is bad timing on my part. I'm sorry." He looks down at his fidgeting fingers. Taeyong has hoped that if all goes smoothly as planned, Johnny will accept that they are destined mates, pass the trial, and then they could try to make this relationship work. The first part is already a disaster.

On the other hand, Johnny is still trying to process all that has been thrown at him. Strangely, Taeyong seems flustered by his silence, so his best guess is that the other man is not dealing very well with the current situation. Johnny also notices his hands, which is odd, if the young vampire is to be honest, since he has been having this image of Taeyong to be a perfectly put together, confident man. This is the first time he has seen the stoic vampire so unnerved, and it perplexes him even more, because one should act that way only when the bond between them is a big deal. In Johnny’s defense, he has never been intimate with anyone - he’s dated some, but never serious enough - let alone a millennia old vampire, so of course he doesn’t understand the meaning of an _unbreakable pair_.

“Taeyong, I think, uhm… maybe this is not the best time for this conversation.” Johnny finally speaks, only to see Taeyong visibly deflate.

“Yeah, I figure that, too.” The dark-haired man answers, voice small, like a kicked puppy. He seems upset, so Johnny rushes to assure him. 

“But uhm, I will think about what you say. You know how new I am to all these vampire stuff. I promise I’m not annoyed or anything like that by you and what you said. I’m just… surprised. We can talk about this later, if that's okay to you?”

He sees Taeyong bite his lip while pondering something, but no longer as unhappy-looking as he was a few minutes ago, which is good, since Johnny doesn’t want either of them to come out of this conversation feeling frustrated. The older vampire extends his arm towards Johnny again, hand curled in a fist. 

“Take this with you to the test. It will help with your concentration.”

A thin chain with a rose-shaped pendant falls into the brunette’s opened palm. The rose is an exquisite golden piece of art, the tiny but finely sculpted thorns catching the light from the candles in the iron candelabra placed on the windowsill. Johnny feels the gold with his thumb, and already, a sense of calm washes over him. It’s like there’s an invisible veil masking the entire area around Johnny, separating him from the turbulent train of thought that’s been going through his mind lately. 

“The pendant is charmed with my venom. Hendery said usually blood worked better, but since vampires don’t have blood, venom should do.” Taeyong seems almost sheepish while explaining, as though he knows he is basically helping Johnny cheat the test.

Johnny clasps the chain around his neck, the pendant hanging just a little bit below his collarbones. Once the golden rose touches the skin, half of the fatigue vanishes from his bones. Johnny can’t help a little smile at the sensation.

“Thank you, Taeyong.” When he looks up, the older vampire is also staring at him, wide eyes filled with an almost child-like wonder from seeing the magic work. The smile on his lips mirrored the younger’s.

“I should get going now. See you later, Johnny.” With that, Taeyong turns around to leave, with a heart much lighter than it used to be.

*

_Wake up._

_Wake up._

_Wake up._

Johnny blinks, finally gaining a clear vision of reality. He looks around, at the unfamiliar faces, at the pairs of eyes staring at him. He hears the bated breath they’re holding in, expecting to see another newborn losing their mind over a bowl of deliciously aromatic blood. 

Johnny inhales. The blood presented to him is highly potent, judging from the rich, fine wine-alike fragrance emitting from the scarlet liquid. Some time ago, someone brought out a large bowl of blood and put it on the table a few meters away from Johnny. His arms and legs are no longer chained to the ground, leaving him completely free to roam the hall and probably dunk his head into the bowl, too, should the young vampire be unable to resist the temptation. Johnny could feel every cell in his body vibrating at the sight of _food_ ; there’s a voice inside his head yelling at him to _go feed yourself, you’re hungry, you need to feed_. The brunette can practically taste the saccharine scent on his tongue, the aroma filling up his lungs, begging Johnny to come to it. And maybe, for a brief moment, he had taken a step forward. His mind is spinning from hunger, so the vampire isn’t sure if he really moved towards the blood, or his audience liked to suck in a breath to mess with him. 

Another step, and he hears the sound of wood splintering. Someone is very upset, it seems.

 _‘Just a taste. Just a taste and I’ll be good’_ is all that’s going on inside his head right now. Whereas Johnny was weakened by hunger before, he feels a new surge of energy shooting up his spine, driving him closer to the source of food.

Another step, and the brunette freezes up upon feeling the rose pendant brushing against his chest. Suddenly, there’s a calming weight leaning on Johnny, soothing his nerves. He cannot explain why, but the rose somehow gives an illusion that instead of being all the way up on the wooden spectator stand, Taeyong is right next to him. Johnny looks up at the audience again to gaze into Taeyong’s eyes. The man is sitting next to Sehun on the bottom seating tier, with his perfect porcelain doll face and red-tinted dark eyes not even blinking while watching the young vampire. Taeyong nods at Johnny as though assuring the brunette that _yes, he can do it, he can resist his instinct_.

And so, Johnny chooses to believe Taeyong. Must be the effect of the bond, when for once since the start does the young vampire gain some faith in himself. He just has to hold out for another 3 minutes - according to the clock above Jinhee’s head. The woman is wearing a black velvet robe, and Johnny can clearly see that she’s trying to reign in her curiosity though not very successfully. Like the rest of the coven, she must be intrigued by the vampire who is claimed to be Lee Taeyong’s match.

Johnny breathes through his nose, and again, the intense hunger is once again threatening to consume him. He’s thought of holding in his breath until the end of the test, only to realize that it’s quite impossible for someone with zero experience in diving like Johnny to do so. And it hurts. Half of his mind has already been clouded by the blood lust, his body is both weakened and driven by hunger at the same time. In his last attempt of holding onto consciousness, Johnny clutched the rose pendant. The tiny thorns of the rose only very slightly sting his palm, but in a way, they become an anchor for Johnny’s mind to keep him thinking of Taeyong and the things the man has said. 

_‘You are a being that can do good, your existence has a meaning.’_

_‘I’m here to help you with your journey.’_

Johnny shuts his eyes while chanting those words, a quiet mumble only for himself, but it works. He tries fixating his train of thought on them, thinking of Taeyong’s rose-shape scar, his soft palm resting on Johnny’s cheek. The buzzing in his ears has slowed down to muffled noises when he senses the cloud in his mind has receded, even just a little bit. That bit is enough, though, because just then, the clock behind Jinhee rings, signaling the end of the test.

When Johnny opens his eyes again, he thinks he saw the corner of Jinhee’s mouth twitch. Someone comes in to take him out of the hall, away from the scrutinizing eyes of the coven members.

He’s taken through a stone corridor, presumably to be back to the castle. Johnny is still disoriented, and the vampire currently escorting him is exceptionally stoic, so it is a slightly terrifying 1-minute trip until Johnny sees the person waiting for him at the end of the corridor. Taeyong.

The dark-haired vampire seems agitated, wide eyes boring into the two silhouettes coming from the other side of the passage. As soon as Johnny emerges from the shadow, he rushes forwards, grabbing onto the younger’s arms while his eyes doing a quick scan for any injuries - which is ridiculous, but his fretting mind needs to do that to calm down.

“Johnny, are you alright?” Taeyong asks, lightly touching the other’s chin to get the brunette to look at him. The honey brown orbs eventually zero in on him, and that’s all Taeyong sees before being pulled into a tight hug. Because of the height difference, Johnny can easily smash his face into the space between Taeyong’s neck and shoulder, inhaling the very subtle scent of lavender lingering on his skin. A minute tremor runs through the lithe body in his arms, before Taeyong’s hesitant arms come up to encircle Johnny’s waist. He feels like dozing off right now, right here, curling around Taeyong like this. And so he does, letting his eyelids drop shut to the scent of Taeyong and the sound of his hushed breathing.

A few minutes pass until the dark-haired man realizes that Johnny is actually nodding off on his shoulder. He taps Johnny on the side to wake him up, only for the younger to whine. 

“I’m hungry. Can I eat now?” Johnny sounds like a petulant child. At last, he does stand up straighter, still not letting go of Taeyong. The older man is his anchor now, and it’s not every day that he can be this close to Taeyong. They are not mates yet. (To be honest, Johnny didn’t think it through when he pulled Taeyong into a hug. It was a risky move.)

Johnny’s heart nearly leaps out of his chest when Taeyong stands on his tiptoes. His mind starts to run a million miles a minute, the most prominent thought being _‘Oh my god oh my god OH MY GOD IS HE GOING TO KISS ME?!!’_ , which causes Johnny to freeze up again. The fact that Taeyong doesn’t say a word also doesn’t help; but his wide eyes are earnest, and his mouth looks exceptionally kissable. Johnny continues to stare at the other, and the panic must be showing on his face, because just then, the older vampire leans his forehead against Johnny’s, warm breath brushing past his lips.

Ultimately, they don’t kiss, to Johnny’s _great_ disappointment (that he won’t say out loud, of course). 

He notices a shift in the atmosphere around them, nevertheless. Once again, a sense of calm wash over the both of them, while Taeyong simply closes his eyes and breathes out a sigh of relief. Johnny wants to say something to break off the silence, but maybe he doesn’t need to. Johnny thinks he likes the tranquility of the moment. Just the two of them, basking in each other’s presence. If this is what being an unbreakable pair feels like, then he doesn’t mind it one bit.

Johnny is reluctant to let go of Taeyong when the other man disentangles them. A small smile blooms on Taeyong’s pretty lips once they separate, although he still keeps their fingers entwined together. He looks at Johnny, and the younger thinks he sees a whole universe in those eyes.

“Let’s get you some blood, yeah?”

“Okay.” 


End file.
